Health Tips

So, is your teenager into video games? And are you worried that he/she doesn’t get enough healthy food or exercise? It is true that gaming teens probably consume more noodles and mini pizzas than anyone else (neither of which are good for you alone…), but what can you really do? Well, there are a few things as a parent that you can do to help keep your child healthy that doesn’t involve making him/her give up the video games.

First, you can make sure that there is healthy food in the house that your child likes. Stop buying cookies, and buy fruit instead. Or, buy delicious yogurt or some other kind of food like that. These are very good, and teens will never pass up a cup of blueberry yogurt!

Second, remember to buy healthy drinks. Sorry, cool aid and soda doesn’t count! Try stuff like vitamin water, juice, or even V8. Gatorade is better than soda, so even that is more acceptable if you can’t get your teen to drink anything else!

And lastly, try to get your teen into something more active sometimes. For instance, offer to sign him/her up for basketball or dance lessons. Or, take him/her to the park yourself for a fun game of one on one basketball or for some tennis. Remember that it is not the goal to make him/her give up video games entirely, but to make sure that they can stay healthy and maintain an active lifestyle at the same time.

So try a couple of these things, and see if your teen gets any healthier, happier, or more vibrant. I bet you will see a difference before too long, and who knows? Your teen might just realize that his/her favorite food is blueberry yogurt!